Semaphore



(No Model.)

' A. A. STROM.

SEMAPHORE.

Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I AXEL A. STROM, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS.

SEMAPHORE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,611, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed March 19, 1888. Serial No. 267,622.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL A. STROM,a citi zen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Semaphores, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the class of devices used on railroads for signaling purposes to notify approaching trains of the condition of the track ahead of them.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of the mechanism for operating the signaling medium upon that shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 370,359, granted me on the 20th day of September, 1887, so that the tendency of the semaphore-arm shall be to assume automatically the danger position, from which position it shall be moved and held at safety by positively-acting mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved semaphore in broken elevation, havingits rotatory spindle connected directly with switch-rails andaground-switch-operating device. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, showing a broken portion of arailroadtrack; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view showing a home signal and a long-distance signal connected together to be operated simultaneously by actuating the switch-rails; and Fig. 4 a section taken on theline 4 4 of Fig. 1, enlarged, and viewed in the direction of the arrows.-

A is a semaphore comprising a post, 1', which may be provided with the usual lateral rungs, r.

B is the rotatory spindle supported in bearings a; on one side of the post and extending from near the base of the latter beyond the upper end of the same,where it carries the lantern O for nightsignaling.

D is the semaphore-arm,pivoted toward one end to the side of the post provided with the spindle and immediately behind the latter, and provided at such end with a weight, g, sufficiently heavy to raise the semaphore-arm to its horizontal position, at which it is at danger. A rod or bar, p, moves in guide= slots 00 in the bearings 00, (see Fig. 4,) behind the spindle,and carries a roller or thimble,p, at its lower end extending toward the spindle,

(No model.)

' and the bar p is connected by a link, 0, to

the signal-arm D, to the side of the fulcrum thereof opposite that from which the weighted end extends. A cam, E, is secured upon the semaphore'spindle, to be turned with the latter. The cam is V-shaped that is,it has two edges like the edge presented to view in Fig. 1, and which covers and thus hides from view the other edge, and the last-named edge is in contact and engages with the thimble or roller 12 below it. Thus, when the semaphore-spindle is turned in one direction the cam (since it is rigid thereon in the sense that it is not movable vertically) forces the bar or rod p downward, thereby, owing to its connection through the link 0 with the signal-arm D, pulling the latter down to its safety position,where it is held by thecontinued engagement of the cam with the thimble 0 until itis released by turning the SGHIHPhOlBSPlHdiG in the opposite direction, (whereby the thimble moves toward its highest point on the cam,) during which movement of the spindle the weight g raises the arm D until it reaches its normal horizontal or danger position.

To rotate the semaphorespindle, I connect it with the switch-rails a ofa track through the medium of a crank-arm, m, near the base of the spindle, and a connectingrod, Z, and operate the switch-rails from a suitable switchstand, aground-switch stand, F, being shown in the drawings for the purpose. Whatever form of switch-stand is used, however, it is to be understood that by means of the one lever, as that shown at k, the switch-rails are moved and that through them the semaphore is set accordingly.

\Vhere a home signal and a long-distance signal are employed, as shown at G and G in Fig. 3, where they are connected together, as by cables or rods i and t", fastened at their extremities to the ends of levers h and h, (preferably bent, as shown, to permit the desired extent of movement and have them as close as possible to the semaphore-posts,) secured at their centers to the spindles B of the respect ive semaphores by connecting the switch-rails through the medium of the link mand connecting-rod lwith the spindle of the home signal, both the latter and the long distance semaphore may be actuated by actuating the switch-rails.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a semaphore, the combination of a post, 1', a signal-arm, D, pivotally supported on the post and weighted to assume automaticallythe danger position,a rotatory spindle, B, carrying a cam, E, to rotate with it, a link, 0, pivoted to the signalarm to the side of the pivot thereof opposite that from which the [0 weight end extends, and a sliding rod or bar,

1;, connected from one end with thelink oand carrying toward its opposite end a thimble, 1), extending below and in contact with the cam, substantially as described.

2. In a semaphore, the combination of a post, 1, a rotatory spindle, B, supported by the post, asignalarni, D, pivoted toward one AXEL A. STROM.

In presence of J. W. DYnnNFoRTn, CHAS. E. Gonron. 

